ICLSTE Research Agenda

Research Agenda for Advancing Service-Learning in Teacher Education

The agenda outlined below was developed by a research affinity group at the International Conference on Service-Learning in 2006 (for full document see PDF). The team agreed that future research in the field of service-learning should deepen understanding of the impacts, implementation and institutionalization of service-learning in teacher education. The research agenda is framed by a set of research questions that are defined as being key to advancing the practice and study of service-learning in teacher education.

Impact on Recipients of Service and External Entities

What are the impacts of teacher education service-learning on K-12 and community partners? (What is the impact on service recipients?)

What impacts do service-learning recipients (pre-service teachers) ultimately have on schools and community (after they engage in service-learning experience)?

Impact on Service-Learners (Service-Learning Participants)

How does service-learning impact the development of cross-cultural competence and diversity? To what extent does service-learning teacher educators' ability to teach better, understand more cross cultural competency?

Implementation Research

What are best practices (both conventional and unconventional) for advancing high quality service-learning in teacher education?

What are the characteristics that define the ideal role for community partners in teacher education service-learning partnerships?

What are effective strategies for building an asset-focused service-learning program (rather than one focused on needs, problems, etc.)?

What are the implications for Hamlin's model of community building and citizenship development for building high quality service-learning in teacher education?

What are some of the international models for advancing service-learning in teacher education?

What aer the key cultural and contextual implications for service-learning practice in teacher education?

What are the faculty motivators and deterrents for service-learning engagement? Are there institutional differences in faculty motivation (e.g. faith-based vs. secular institutional, urban vs. rural)?

What are the campus administrator (deans) motivators and deterrents for service-learning in teacher education?

What are the key purposes for service-learning in teacher education? What are the key civic purposes for service-learning in teacher education (e.g. charity, social justice, public work)?

What would a developmental model of service learning in teacher education look like (e.g. what first year pre-service teachers need to know, in-service teachers)?

Institutionalization Research

What are the key elements for institutionalizing service-learning in teacher education?

To what extent do the key elements for institutionalizing service-learning in teacher education differ from institutionalization elements for higher education in general?

Are there distinctions in advancing and institutionalizing service-learning in teacher education at the graduate and undergraduate levels?

What kinds of standards for service-learning development are being developed across the globe?

Theoretical Frameworks

What are the key theoretical backgrounds and perspectives that inform the practice and study of service-learning in teacher education?

Methodological Issues

Conduct more experimental studies to assess impacts on participants, communities, and institutions.

Conduct in-depth case studies and historiographies that capture the stories and contexts within service-learning experiences as a way to better understand implementation and institutionalization issues.

Conduct comparative, transnational studies to explore commonalities and distinctions in impacts, implementation, and institutionalization of service-learning in teacher education.

Use mixed methods approaches to allow for both depth of analysis and generalization breadth.

Identify instruments and measures that can be applied universally to allow for aggregation of data across programs and studies.